


Heart to Heart

by myxsiple



Category: 101 Dalmatian Street (Cartoon)
Genre: F/M, Heartbreak, Love Confessions, Sibling Love, Step-siblings, Valentine's Day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-15
Updated: 2021-02-15
Packaged: 2021-03-16 23:07:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,455
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29461743
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/myxsiple/pseuds/myxsiple
Summary: In one paw, she held a bouquet of sunflowers wrapped in a bright red bow. In her other paw was a heart-shaped box of treats. And right in front of her was the dog who’d mustered up the courage to give her all that and tell her how he felt. He stood there stiff as a board lips pursed and ears drawn back waiting for her to respond. And she finally did. “*sigh* D-Dylan…”
Relationships: Dolly & Dylan (101 Dalmatians)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 13





	Heart to Heart

**I DON’T OWN 101 DALMATIAN STREET**

* * *

“D...Dolly?”

She heard his question and everything before it loud and clear, but a response would take some time; her mind was still racing, trying to process what she just received.

As well as what she was told.

In one paw, she held a bouquet of sunflowers wrapped in a bright red bow. Such pretty, girly stuff never really appealed to her, but she did remember offhandedly saying once that if she had to have a favorite flower, she’d go with these bright yellow things. That was ages ago though; she’d totally forgotten having ever said that until just then. Apparently, he hadn’t.

In her other paw was a heart-shaped box of treats, the kind that she and everyone else in family craved and fought each other like wolves for. Far too many times had the house been trashed by fights to try to get even a single bite of the stuff, her own Top Dog authority useless as she wanted even the smallest piece herself. And now she had an entire box to herself.

And right in front of her was the dog who’d mustered up the courage to give her all that and tell her how he felt. He stood there stiff as a board lips pursed and ears drawn back waiting for her to respond, to do well...anything actually.

And she finally did.

“*sigh* D-Dylan…”

That was all she said, all she could say really, the look on her face putting forth what she couldn’t in words. And it looked like it was enough for him.

“Right...O-Of course...Of course...”

Dolly had only seen his face for a split second before he bowed his head, but it still made her freeze up from the sudden surge of guilt that stabbed her. She tensed up desperately wanting to say something, anything to fix this, but words were failing her at the moment. She could only watch helplessly as he turned around and slowly padded off, his eyes never rising from the floor.

“Stupid...Stupid... _Stupid_...”

By the time he left muttering softly, Dolly was left staring at the gifts in her paws. When she first saw the treats, she had swiped them without a second thought and was halfway to opening the box and devouring the whole thing in one go when she spotted the flowers. It was an...odd gesture to be honest considering the giver and receiver, but she accepted them nonetheless. Right before she could thank him, he up and spoke.

And completely dumbfounded her.

Never in her wildest dreams did she imagine something like this would happen. Valentine’s Day was meant to be a celebration of love and all its forms, between friends, between lovers, between parents and children, between brothers and sisters. She was expecting such displays of affection from her younger siblings, from her parents, even from him, but this?

A part of her wanted to accept his feelings and figure out the rest together even if just to stop herself from breaking his heart, but no; her heart really wouldn’t really be in it, only going along out of pity. He deserved far better than some big farce. She cared too much about him to do something like that.

She cared...

...

Dolly took whatever remaining feelings of guilt and sadness weighing her down and shoved them aside. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath letting it all out a second later as if exhaling any bit of doubt and hesitation left in her. Her eyes shot open, the uncertainty in them replaced by the same raw determination usually reserved for her craziest stunts.

The memory of his crushed expression was still fresh in her mind, but now it only served to steel her resolve. He already had his chance to express his feelings, but now, she had some words of her own. Gently setting aside the gifts, she left to go find him.

To find her brother Dylan.

* * *

It wasn’t that hard tracking him down. She knew full well how he thought and where his comfort zones were hence her looking up at his tree house. It was Dylan’s favorite place to sulk off to after all.

True enough, there he was in the back huddled up with all his blankets and pillows and what looked like Dippy being hugged close to his chest. He was lying on his side facing away from the entrance completely and thankfully silent. Crying Dylan would’ve been tough, but mopey Dylan she could handle.

He made no reaction to her arrival save of his ears perking up briefly. With light steps, she padded closer to him stopping just out of arm’s reach and sat down. She was willing to bet that he wasn’t trying to sleep at all, just staring at the wall going over what he did one repeat. She could practically feel the shame and regret flowing through him.

She opened her mouth but shut it almost immediately afterwards. She had the will and determination to make things right, but was admittedly still drawing a blank on the last part. Truthfully Dolly who always hated these sorta big, emotional things, thought maybe going straight to the point would work. Then again, she’d never been in a situation this delicate, and she couldn’t afford to make Dylan feel any worse.

If he were in a talking mood, he’d probably joke that this was typical for her always charging in without a plan. She’d argue that she did have a plan; she just didn’t have anything past making him feel better. A part of her wanted to let out a chuckle, but she held it in.

_Start small._ The Dylan-sounding voice in her head told her, and it actually made a lotta sense. If the journey of a thousand miles can start with a single step, then what’d most likely be the most serious talk she had with him to date could start with a single word.

“Hey...”

...

...

...

“Hey...” came his reply only slightly softer than her own voice, honestly not that bad a start.

“So uh…” Dolly conked herself on the head to get those thinking gears spinning. “I never got to say thanks for the stuff, so…thanks.” She forced out a nervous smile. “I’m…kinda surprised you remembered the flower thing really. How’d you even get that stuff anyway?”

A few seconds of silence followed only broken by Dylan’s response. “Fergus. Told him to get me the treats without breaking the law. Couldn’t risk it. There’s also a flower patch near the park, and I remembered you saying you like them. I just…I really wanted you to like what I gave…”

“You really went all out with that.” she complimented hoping it’d get his spirits up even just a little bit. “I’m serious man; any girl’d be won over by something that awesome.”

“You weren’t.”

With just those two words, whatever hopes she had of making him feel better before she got to the meat of their talk were dashed. She found herself floundering again, desperately finding some way to recover from that, but it was no use. They would be talking about this sooner or later, and sooner sounded was sounding a lot better at the moment.

As she took a deep breath, Dylan’s ears perked up again at the sound as if already he knew what was coming. Dolly could tell both of them were bracing themselves for this, but they needed this. For things to get better, they needed this.

“Look Dylan...I’m your sister.” she pointed out with a sympathetic face he couldn’t see. “Step or whatever, we grew up together; you know we...we...” She fidgeted in place wondering how best to continue.

“I know...” Dylan replied as she trailed off. “I know. _I know OK!_?“ She flinched when he suddenly started speaking louder and quicker. “I get it Dolly. It was stupid of me to even think it, stupid of me to actually do it, stupid to think you’d love me, stupid to think you’d really-”

He finally moved, shuddering slightly and curling up further. “Stupid... _Stupid._.. ** _Stupid._** ”

“D-Dylan?”

“You’re the only one that puts me at ease OK?” he blurted out before she could get up to approach him. “Roxy’s fun and all, but I still get nervous when she so much as opens her mouth a little too widely. I can’t even be myself around Portia unless it’s to give her a good laugh, and I when I wasn’t spazzing out in front of Summer, I kept insulting her right in her face.”

“Dolly, you’re-you’re the only girl my age I actually feel 100% calm and confident around; I know I can just be myself around you, and I thought about it a bunch. Valentine’s Day coming up made me think about it even more and feel... all sorts of things and I just...”

He trailed off, Dolly feeling relieved when he let out a sigh and appeared to relax. “I know...I knew you’re my sister, but I just...I thought that if I went and took the plunge like you do all the time without thinking, you’d accept. Instead, I just ruined everything...”

Having explained himself, Dylan seemed to deflate even further as if getting all that out of his system just made him feel worse. Behind him, Dolly could only stare at his back going over all he’d said and felt kinda astounded really.

She knew full well all about the fight’s they’ve had, the many time they’d driven the other up the wall, the silent and loud complaints they had about the other’s attitude, but despite all that, he still felt that way about her?

And what did she feel about all that?

“I’ve seen you stupid Dylan, and believe me, this isn’t it.” she told him with a shake of her head. “You just lost confidence in yourself huh? And you thought if we got together it’d just fix things?”

It was slow and small, but Dylan definitely nodded. “ ** _Stu_** -“

“It’s not stupid!” Dolly called out before she could finish. “You don’t gotta be ashamed or embarrassed or whatever about it. You liked someone and actually did something about it, and it’s not the first time you did it.”

“But you’re my sister Dolly.” Dylan answered with another shudder. “I should’ve known you wouldn’t accept, and now everything’s-“

“You didn’t ruin anything Dylan.” Dolly finally said, his body stiffening slightly.

“R-Really?”

Even though he couldn’t see it, she nodded. “C’mon, there’s no way hate and ditch you just ‘cuz of something like this. Heck I…” She scratched the back of her head in embarrassment. “I think it’s actually kinda sweet you think all that about me; I know I’m not exactly the best dog out there.”

He didn’t respond to that only continuing to start silently ahead. If he felt relieved or anything from what she said, it looked like he didn’t know how to express it, which was fine with Dolly; she had something more important to add.

“And for the record…I do love you Dylan.” He raised his head ever so slightly at those words. “Of course I love you. For dog’s sake, you’re my brother, my best friend. I-“ A slight burning in her eyes and throat made her pause. “I-I seriously can’t imagine not having you in my life…I hope…I just hope that’s enough to make you happy…”

Maybe it wasn’t the love he’d been hoping for, but it was the love she could give him, and she was happy with it. He was dog who’d always had her back, the only dog who understood the madness that was their family as much as she did, and even though she’d never say it in any ordinary situation, she loved him for it. Would that ever be enough to satisfy him?

“It…It’s more than enough…”

Her ears perked up at his voice noting that it had none of the gloom it had previously. The worried look on her own face faded as she let out a sigh of her own. As long as he was happy with her, then it was enough for her as well.

“Dolly, is...Would it be weird if we hugged right now?”

A tiny smile and a light, amused snort escaped her as she slowly spread her arms. “Never was, never will be.”

That was all the invitation need by Dylan who finally rose and turned to face her, the gentle smile he was wearing carrying so many emotions-gratefulness, relief, peace, love. He slowly closed the distance between them, wrapping her in the tightest hug he’d ever given her.

“Thank you…”

Dolly pulled him in returning the gesture with an equally strong embrace. “I gotcha dude. I gotcha.”

Dylan let out a sigh and seemed to sag as if a big weight had been lifted from his shoulders. Dolly just continued to hold him patting his back and feeling his warmth as he let out whatever emotions he had been holding back. His body shook with light chuckles, his soft laughter in her ears.

“I’m still sorry though.” Dolly told him with a sad smile. “I did kinda break your heart.”

His response was a tight squeeze as if he were comforting her at the moment. “It-it’s OK; I’m OK. I’m just so glad I didn’t lose you.”

“You won’t, and you never will.” she said, her smile turning a little more sly. “Looks like you’re stuck with me till the end Dylan.”

That got a snort of out him. “Oh I’m not worried; I know exactly how to handle you.”

“Yeah well just don’t think you’re getting any of those treats though.”

“Please, I know all your hiding spots.”

“Heh, not if I eat them all in one go.”

“You’re gonna wreck your stomach.”

“Yeah, but it’ll be worth it...Totally worth it.”

His only response was to laugh harder, Dolly joining in herself. For several minutes, that was all they did filling up the room with their joyous appreciation and affection for each other. Despite the confession and subsequent rejection, despite the fear and worry, they could tell that what the two of them had had grown stronger than ever.

“Happy Valentine’s Day Dylan. I love you bro.”

That day was meant to be a celebration of love and all its forms, between friends, between lovers, between parents and children, between brothers and sisters.

And for Dylan and Dolly, that last one would always keep them together.

“I love you too sis.”

* * *

Pre-read by:

Paleo

Inspired by this video by Mikeinel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6V6CsMiNB4


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